energy is the product of mass and the speed of light squared
by Dianthus caryophyllus
Summary: It all started with a straw hat. Scarlett only wanted adventure in her life. And to prove some points, but that's secondary. She would've been fine were it not for that persistent Luffy. Oh, the irony. OC-centric
1. Exposition Arc: Hello, Piracy!

She never gave any thought to when she would set sail. She knew the time would come, eventually, and was content to wait out the days until the urge to leave became too strong. And that's what she did. Every day she got up, trained, helped out around the village, and waited.

She wasn't aware, but at age eighteen, Scarlett was in a rut.

Promising herself a life of adventure on the ocean, she was a girl with big dreams; however, she had neglected to leave her comfortable little village in the East Blue. Scarlett wasn't sure of when she should set sail, figuring that fate would whisk her away from her home when it felt like doing so. She grew complacent and inured to the dull lifestyle. When she walked into the bakery, unhurriedly scarfing down pastries as she swept the floor, the owner looked at her inscrutably. The expression was very odd on the baker.

"Ara, is there somethin' wrong, Eri-san?" Eri-san was always nice and honest. She felt like the sunlight that filtered through dense treetops and washed over the flowers underneath them – nice and necessary, but not overbearing. Scarlett loved being around her. The plump woman smiled, the kindness in her expression making the teen's chest flutter as she reciprocated the gesture.

"Scarlett-chan, it's been a year…" And wasn't that something. It had been an entire year and Eri-san hadn't spoken a word about it since it happened.

"A year already," she murmured, a frown fleetingly gracing her lips as she stopped sweeping. A year. She'd been training and learning and waiting and _waiting for a year_. The realization made her drop the broom, looking over at Eri-san almost helplessly. The baker smiled again, and Scarlett suddenly knew.

 _Scarlett-chan, it's been a year… and you're still on the island._

She sent a beaming grin— _thank you_ —to Eri-san and placed the broom in the corner behind the counter. The older woman wrapped her up in a hug and something in Scarlett begged her not to let go, but she pulled back and kept her smile as she left the bakery. Eri-san always knew what to say. Like a…

 _'Experience, of course.'_ Scarlett hurriedly told herself, still happy for the push. She waltzed into the shop owned by the carpenter, belatedly knocking on the counter after she hopped over it, her necklace clinking, and continued into the back room. His insincere scowl prompted a snicker from her and she rushed him into a hug. "I'm gonna leave today," she said.

He paused; she felt his arms still and his breath fumble and wondered why he was any surprised. She was Scarlett the spontaneous, the village knew better than _anyone_. When he simply exhaled and returned her hug, she was filled with joy.

"I's waitin' f'r when ya'd get into gear, girl," he scoffed as he guided her to the very back of the shop. In that room was the craft he'd built for her to set sail in. The vessel wasn't very impressive and she didn't need it to be. She was out for adventure, not a big fancy ship. In fact, a ship would make her voyage harder. If she had to care properly for one, her journey would just turn into work.

 _'All the attention a big ship would attract. I'd never get any peace.'_

She grinned at him, basking in his feeling of gnarled roots and defensive canopies. "Would it be too much to ask if you'd bring it to the port?" He clapped her on the back.

"Say y'r farewells." Grateful, Scarlett nodded and headed to the central part of the village. She said goodbyes to all of the shop owners and citizens, collecting sendoff gifts and special dishes as she went. Upon reaching the bar, her small pack was crammed to the brim and she had enough perishable food to last for a good two weeks.

Inside were the mayor and the barkeep, already expecting her by the way they stood near the entrance. Placing her bag down, she ran up to the mayor and squeezed him as tightly as she could. Luckily, he was a large and hearty man, able to withstand the strength of her embrace.

"I gotta go today." Her admission was muffled by his chest. The mayor, Rino, rubbed her shoulder.

"Little Scarlett is all grown up now and leaving us?" he boomed, letting out a sentimental laugh. He was the obscure expanse of shade on a breezy spring day, always offering reprieve, always there but oft overlooked by those too busy enjoying the sunshine. Scarlett would never forget the benevolence of her mayor; she would never forget his salt-and-pepper hair or his smiling eyes or the way he made her feel like—

"Good riddance to the brat," Stel groused good-naturedly. Scarlett unwrapped herself from Rino and tackled him, her long red mane trailing behind her as she smiled all the while.

"I'm gonna miss you, too," she crooned, watching the capricious man's stern face soften as he hugged her with one of his well-muscled arms. Stel was the shifting sky before a storm, fickle rolling clouds ready to burst or ready to move on with a simple shift of the wind.

" _Be careful_ ," both the barkeep and mayor seemed to say in unison. Her chest was so, _so_ warm as she dipped her chin.

"Always."

They escorted her to the port and she didn't know why the small part of herself that she couldn't help but listen to— _the part that she hated_ —told her something was missing. Didn't know why she felt just a bit hollow. She shook the feeling away as she got into the small boat.

"Scarlett."

Immediately, she turned her head in the direction of the gruff voice. The crowd parted for the retired marine, and she stood just a bit taller as his cerulean eyes landed on her. "Horace-san," she replied levelly. He continued forward until he was right in front of her and held up a sack the size of a dog. Tentatively, she took it from the man she had grown to see as an estranged uncle and opened it.

Inside were two books and beri. _Lots_ of beri. Spluttering, as it was easily twice as much as what she'd saved in six years, Scarlett tried to hand the pouch back to him. "H-Horace-san, I can take the books but—"

"He'd have wanted it," was his only rebuttal. She stopped, taking a minute to glance over what had to be about a million beri. She briefly wondered how the hell he got the money and why he was just giving it to her.

 _'Marine. Right.'_

"Take it," he ordered. And when he used _that_ tone, like everything that ever went wrong in the word was her fault and he couldn't stand to see her breathing, she could do nothing but smile and do as he said. He walked away and the moment – heavy silence and bitter understanding and all the meaning she never asked for – was gone.

"Goodbye everyone!" she called, eyes glittering as they all cheered and saw her off. She untied her boat and began sailing, unable to feel truly sad as the ocean beckoned her to a new world. It always beckoned.

The first couple of days were nice, perfect skies and a calm sea. After the fourth day passed, however, Scarlett realized how much of an idiot she was. "Ara, I should've read up on sailing and navigation. How'm I supposed to get to an island if I can't steer this stupid boat?" she lamented. Rolling up her striped sleeves, she decided to count out her money and take a look at the books in her bag.

Horace-san had given her all bills, but a large chunk of her personal savings was coins. It took longer than she'd expected and in the end, she had about 1,350,000 beri. She had to fold the bills small and keep the coins packed tight so no one would get any idea to rob her once she found an island.

Briefly, she wondered what good all her money would do if she couldn't get to a marketplace to buy anything and laughed for a while. She sat at the bow of the boat, swinging her green frog-print galoshes absently as she reached for the pair of books with one hand and lightly stroked her necklace with the other.

One was a sturdy leather-bound journal with thick papyrus pages, more than she was prepared to count. She was immensely thankful to Horace-san, as a travel journal was something that hadn't crossed her mind to bring along. Perhaps it was his intuition as a former captain. The other one was… a photo album.

Scarlett felt the overwhelming tang of _bittersweet_ settle over her as she leafed through the small book. Eri-san, the forest, her own smiling face, and…

She snapped the book shut.

 _'Not yet.'_

The sky was empty and the sunshine, coupled with the gentle winds, was delightful as it caressed her bare legs. She let out a sigh of contentment, lying back in her comfortably small dinghy and listening to the sounds of the sea.

As the waves lapped against her boat, each current of latent energy pushing against her consciousness and just begging her to set it free, her thoughts drifted to the future. "Ara, what's out there?" she asked the sea, smiling gently when she received no answer. "Adventure, I'm sure. Lots of treasure and interesting places. Palaces and princesses, too. I bet there's a ton of strong people. I know you've seen 'em. You must hate a lot of 'em, huh? You try and kill 'em the moment you touch 'em.

"I wonder… are any of the people you've met attractive? Oh, how I'd love a mate who could stand next to me in a fight." She glanced down at the twinkling ocean and grinned playfully, reaching her hand in and flicking a bit of water. "Bring 'em to me, would you? Show me the strongest fighters you fare. Anyone from anywhere who can give me a good tussle; make 'em cute, though!" Scarlett wiped her hand off on her overalls and turned over on her stomach, closing her eyes as she nestled into her arms. While she drifted off to sleep, the waters pulled her small boat along with them, a definite destination while the skies stayed clear.

As little the sea spoke, it listened just as much.

* * *

Gala was a small island near the northern corner of the East Blue, harboring five villages: Kinsei, Mutsu, Akane, Shizuka, and Fuji. Of the five, three were coastal villages, greeting the seafarers that found their way to the island: Fuji, Shizuka, and Kinsei. Of the three, one was in the position to meet Scarlett as her catnap had turned into a full four hours of sleep: Fuji. Upon arriving at the seashore on the edge of Fuji, the teen slept through horrified gasps and a curious child poking her.

"Ne, ne, kaa-chan, is she dead?"

"Don't touch her, it's unsanitary!"

"Someone needs to get the mayor…"

The jarring murmurs and commotion roused the freckled teen from her slumber. "Whatissit?" she slurred, squinty eyed and messy haired.

" _Zombie!_ " the boy poking at her screeched as he tripped backwards and fell onto the sand. Scarlett blinked, disoriented and somewhat pyretic from her time in the sun. She looked skyward to gauge how much time had passed since she fell asleep, making an unsettled sound at the vast shift. It had to have been hours. Moving her gaze to the little boy, she grinned.

"Not too bright, are ya?" He stared at her for a long moment then turned absolutely _cherry_ , leaping up and gaping at her. "Looks not!" she laughed, doubling over as he ranted about sea zombies and his own bravery for approaching a 'mysterious creature' like her. Snickering, she stood up and hopped out of her vessel.

The sparse villagers surrounding her were full of nervous energy and the ambiance of it made her fingers twitch. Wary mothers pulled their children behind them and the little boy quieted down as she strode toward him. Scarlett placed her hand on his head, ruffling up his wild eggplant hair. "Bravery is a good replacement for brains, I suppose," she conceded with mirth.

"I—I'm _not dumb_ you weirdo zombie lady!" he squawked, pointing at her in anger and ducking from her hand.

"Course not," she drawled, grinning cheekily. Her act seemed to tone down the mistrust from the villagers, a few other kids giggling and their mothers huffing in amusement. Of course, Scarlett loved kids, and wasn't very keen on teasing them. She felt that picking at younger children was a bit unfair and unnecessary, but she had to play up an approachable persona.

 _'No fun being run out as soon as I get here.'_

Cautiously, she turned toward a woman at the front of the small crowd. "Most call me Scarlett. I'm a traveler." She jabbed a thumb at herself to punctuate the announcement. "Would it be too much to ask that you take me somewhere to rest? I won't cause any trouble." She felt the 'yes' before the woman even said it, bowing in thanks as she got her belongings situated. The beach was on the side of a forest and she pulled her sailboat behind the brush.

Noting that a little over two thirds of her food rations remained, Scarlett rolled up Horace-san's gift pack and stuffed it in her own satchel, slinging it over her shoulder. She came back onto the beach and followed along after the gaggle of women and children as they led her to town.

They stopped at a bar that doubled as an inn. A large plaque which simply read "BEAU'S" sat above the doors. A few of the mothers shooed their curious children away from the place while others walked in with her. It looked to be more of a restaurant and bar combination as opposed to a normal bar, if the furnishing and atmosphere were anything to go by. She found it relaxing. The woman she'd approached, who'd introduced herself as Aiko, led her to the bar.

Her son, Luca, shot Scarlett annoyed glances while mumbling to himself about blind zombies.

"Beau!" Aiko-san called, prompting a murmur from the back of the building. "Beau, we brought you a _customer_!" And as if a switch had been flipped, a man immediately came from behind the doors in the back of the bar, an impishly expectant look on his face.

"That you did!" he thundered, the acoustics of his voice almost spiking a migraine. Still, Scarlett waved a hello. "Welcome, traveler, to Fuji's own spectacular inn and eatery, owned by yours truly!"

"Spectacular, indeed," she said, grinning, "Gotta know the going rates, though." Beau-san laughed.

"A savvy customer, I see! Well, you get the bathroom and food services along with a room upstairs for six thousand beri a night." And wasn't that a steal.

Walking forward, Scarlett shook his hand. "Looks like we've got a deal, Beau-san."

* * *

Fuji was comfortable. Being a coastal village, Scarlett found that many of the meals were sea food; squid, dried seaweed, takoyaki and the like were what the natives thrived off of. Coupled with the remaining food from her own village, Scarlett's variety of nutrition was, in her opinion, good. Beau was a gracious host and the community of the village was –

 _warm_ _like the way deer cradle each other in a meadow, wind whispering sweet nothings in their fur,_

 _warm like valerian tea and thick honey,_

 _warm like nothing could ever_ –

very tightknit. She noticed that little Luca-kun was full of more nervous energy than the other kids, and Aiko-san happily informed her that he'd always been a bit rowdy.

Her third morning on the island saw all of her belongings in her room at Beau's as she stood on the beach at dawn, ready to explore. She tied up her hair so it didn't hang near her face, as the mild humidity would only be multiplied with her thick curls, and decided to do a spiral into the center of the island. Gala was a moderate sized island, apparently, and she intended to take advantage of the size in order to travel.

She started along the coast, a gold and pink hello calling her attention from over the horizon. Scarlett loved the sunrise; warmth from daybreak and a pastel sky were all she needed, really. But as pink turned to purple turned to blue, she focused on her plans for the day.

It was time for a journey.

* * *

 **First story on here after lurking for literal _years_. Beta status: none. Story status: sad. Drop a review if you're in the mood!**


	2. Exposition Arc: Hello, Gala!

Scarlett had originally thought to follow the shoreline until she made it near populated areas, stopping in each to get a feel for Gala, and circling back to Fuji for her things. She'd been told by Aiko-san that there were four more villages and she needed a map of the East Blue, which neither Fuji or her own village had. Her first plan wasn't meant to be, it seemed; the water was choppy and each slosh of waves onto the coast soaked her galoshes. She couldn't quite handle the stirred frenzy of the ocean's insistent tugging, the way it pushed at her senses and tugged at her insides, the way her core reached out to it with idealistic desire.

 _She hated it._

So she followed a path that led her away from Fuji. She made sure to leave a note on her door to Beau-san that she would be out, and not to worry if she didn't come back for a few days. The woods surrounding Fuji were tranquil, much like her own village's outskirts, and the covering of trees brought her back to nights under the stars when she was sixteen, flushed with joy and in—

"H-Hey!" Scarlett looked back to see Luca-kun trailing after her, red in the face as his deep purple hair fell into his eyes. His eyes were a soft hazel, like his mother's, and she felt a bit of kinship with the boy – she had her mom's eyes, too.

"What's up, Luca-kun?"

He almost looked like he was pouting, eyebrows scrunched up and fists balled at his sides. "Beau said you were leaving." She blinked, confused, and smiled nonetheless.

"Yep!"

" _Why?!_ " He burst out, twitching nervously and fiddling his hands. If she was reading him right, he was _hurt_. And she had no idea why. Crouching down, she ruffled his hair and gave him a small grin.

"I'm a traveler, see. Gotta explore the island at least a li'l before I leave!" Luca-kun ground his foot into the dirt and mumbled something. "Whassat?"

"…Are you coming back?" She simply stared at him for a bit, concentrating on his red face and frantic aura. Smirking, Scarlett ruffled his hair again and scooped him into a hug.

"Awwww, are you gonna miss me Luca- _kun_?" she crooned, absolutely delighted that young boy was warming up to her despite his bratty attitude. He wriggled in her hold, not nearly strong enough to escape, and denied the accusation vehemently. She let him go and pinched his nose. "Don't you worry your purple li'l head! I gotta stop back to get my stuff so I'll be in Fuji again in no time."

Luca-kun immediately seemed to relax, the air around him not as tense as before. She straightened up and looked down at him as he turned his head away. "It wasn't like I cared or anything," he sniffed, "I was just curious. Zombies shouldn't be left alone to go out and eat brains without supervision." At that, he tackled her legs into a small hug and then ran back to Fuji.

* * *

The night saw her sleeping in a tree outside of Mutsu, the nearest inland village to Fuji. She was still a considerable trek from the village, so she'd stopped for the night, but the lights that shone in the distance weren't anywhere near the sea and Aiko-san had told her that Akane, the only other landlocked village, was on the opposite end of the island. A much longer walk than a single day. The lights strengthened the intermingled presence of other living beings. Walking into the village the next day, Scarlett first fell in love with adventure.

 _'_ _Mutsu is so_ _ **different**_ _.'_

There were differences between Fuji and home, she'd noted – Fuji was more personal than her village, the intense sense of closeness unlike the flow of efficacy that she came from. Everyone knew everyone else, but where Fuji was sweet like honey, her home was more like a watermelon. Sweet, yes, but with a fresh bite. A place for retired marines and travelers to settle, looking back to the sea and unencumbered by the worries of everyone who called that place home.

And Mutsu was a gust of wind. From the people to the buildings, everything gave off the impression of immediacy and change. Children ran around the numerous shops and, while Fuji was littered with cottages, she couldn't see a single house in Mutsu. It was something she'd never experienced before, whipping her head around to the clothing stores and restaurants, seafoam green eyes lit with wonder. She walked along the streets in peace, scanning the town's residents and soaking up the feeling of Mutsu. Scarlett spent the day in and out of shops, searching for a map and… _something_ else.

She just didn't know what.

Mutsu didn't have any maps, to her disappointment, but she had a new bag full of baubles as she left the town and headed to the sea. She figured it was time to head to Shinsei. Or Kizuka? She didn't remember which was which but Aiko-san told her that there were three villages, including Fuji, that were bordered by the ocean. She was bound to stumble on one of them.

The coast seemed to wash up disappearing diamonds, moonlight speckled on the rippling waves. Scarlett sat down near the coastline and stared at the water, inhaling the scent of brine and smiling. Sometimes the sea was so harsh, pushing and pulling at her like a ragdoll, so she sought escape. There were other times, however, that she could almost jump right in and have it carry her wherever it pleased. She was finicky, the sea, and would likely never be happy with Scarlett until she was completely submerged. Flicking a little wave that reached her spot, she scooted back until she was far enough that she wouldn't get wet but was still seated in the sand.

Drawing small designs and pictures on the beach occupied her for hours. She drew the kanji of names, little suns and flowers, a poor rendition of her own family. Her father and mother on each side of her as a child. As she drew out her father's smile she could almost hear his booming laugh, see the ever-present scowl on her mother's freckled face, feel her own naïve admiration. Stel and Rino were drawn to stand near her father as Horace-san and Eri-san took place near her mother. She poked out freckles identical to her mother's on her own small face, swept out a wide smile, and drew a boy next to her.

And then Scarlett erased her parents. She erased the boy and erased her smile, too, but then redrew it. It wasn't as large. She didn't realize that the sun was rising or that she was crying, daybreak warming the droplets as they fell onto her cinnamon arms.

* * *

Shizuka was beautiful, she thought. A bit stuffy and sterile, but lovely all the same. Tropical flowers bloomed around the entire town and it, like Mutsu, was larger and busier than Fuji. She found the smallest inn that she could and paid only for the cleaning facilities. Bleached by the sun and sea, she didn't mind washing her clothes in the small bathroom sink and leaving them to dry on a clothesline she made outside of the window. Her grey and white striped shirt took up more room than she'd have liked, the thin straps of her overall shorts leading her to underestimate the width of the shirt's shoulders.

Soon after pinning everything up to dry, she hopped into the shower. Scarlett's showers always took long because of her hair; the voluminous locks tickled the area of skin beneath her waist and were a complete hassle to properly care for. Of course, she loved her hair. She loved how it shone such a vibrant red, she loved the way it fell in unruly tresses, she loved to laze around in her undies and just play with the soft curls over her shoulders. After she finished her shower, she searched for a map. She only needed a single map of the East Blue and it was ridiculous that she couldn't find one.

Her frustration was short lived, since she found one at a shop right across from the inn. It seemed that Gala was a good distance from the Red Line and she'd have plenty of islands to see before entering the Grand Line. It was her dream to travel the entire world, feeling and seeing all there was to feel and see; to discover every experience and meet as many people as she could. To become enlightened and grow through her knowledge.

After getting her map and a few other souvenirs from Shizuka, it took her nine more days to stop through Kinsei and Akane for keepsakes and exploration; she spent the days in the village and the nights in the outlying forests. When she'd arrived back in Fuji, she had bags of trinkets from all the other villages on Gala. Scarlett felt immense pride in seeing all of the villages and towns on an entire island.

When she'd come back to Beau's, Aiko-san, Luca-kun, and many of the other villagers were there within the hour. She told them about the gull parade she'd happened upon in Kinsei and the field of red roses in Akane. The children were the most enraptured in her tales, but even Beau-san listened on happily to Scarlett's stories of Gala.

She fell asleep looking up at the stars from her room at Beau's, twirling her necklace and feeling like she was missing something.

* * *

The moment she noticed the man in the bar the next morning, Scarlett felt something rotten in the air around him. She swaggered up to the barstool nearest Beau-san and frowned. "I don't like him," she muttered, glimpsing at the man from the corner of her eyes. Beau-san's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Argent-san? He just got here! Give him a chance," he laughed. Her frown deepened to a grimace as he whipped her up a smoothie. "Really, he's a good guy! Been nothing but polite the second he walked in. Says he comes from the West Blue; been giving the fellas a ton of stories from his travels. In a bad mood or something?"

Scarlett shook her head in refusal. "You don't understand, Beau-san," she responded, giving the man a small smile in thanks of the fruity beverage as she took a taste. Beau-san gave her a stern look at her admission.

"You're probably misreading him or something. Don't go around _judging_ people for nothing," he admonished.

"If you say so," Scarlett murmured, drinking her smoothie unhurriedly. She leaned her cheek on her hand, staring at the other patrons and keeping the straw in her mouth as she sipped. Her lips quirked down yet again when the laughter on the other end of the pub subsided and they clamored to the bar. Peeking at him as she twirled her straw around her fingers, Scarlett studied the man— _Argent_ , she reminded herself—in her peripheral.

He was gangly, probably skimming an entire foot above her own five foot four, and she noticed him almost knock over his grog so many times it was unreal; however, the guys ate it up, laughing whenever he apologized. The noxious sensation she felt only intensified the longer he was near her.

The navy vest he wore rested over an eggshell white shirt, both tucked under his brown trousers. A shaggy mop of lime hair that tickled his pale, angular cheeks and sharp chin reached just above his shoulders, framing large cerulean eyes. His pert nose held a faint bend, suggesting that it had been broken at some point. Overall, she recognized that he didn't look sinister in the least. Perhaps even attractive, if she were honest.

Argent turned his head, finally seeing Scarlett, and gave her an inquiring glance. A stout man with a huge smile noticed his look and waddled over to the girl. Drunkenly yanking her off the barstool by her shoulders – her surprised protests and flailing limbs were ignored as they teetered – he held his arm out in introduction.

"Meet—meet Ar... Argent-san! He's a real—riot... this guy's a riot," he lauded, hiccups sprinkled across his words. She laughed a bit at the man's inebriated mumbling, slipping his arm off her shoulders. Her gaze turned to Argent, eyes sharpening in wariness. Taking what Beau-san said into account, she smiled lightly and walked over to the man.

"The name's Scarlett. Nice to meet you," she said, sticking her hand out in greeting as her eyes closed in a friendly grin. His noticeably larger hand grasped hers as they shook, thin fingers reaching past her wrist. She almost shivered at the touch as she let her arm drop, opening her eyes. His cheerful beam only served to put her off more.

"I guess you already know, but I'm Argent. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he chuckled with embarrassment. His voice was baritone and his diction offered intelligence. To Scarlett, it betrayed his awkwardness as an act. The men surrounding him laughed.

"Dehehehehe! Kiddo, this fella 'ere's a real genius! Beau, more sake, eh?" Everyone seemed positively enamored by the man and she was growing more vexed by the second.

 _'_ _Why the hell don't they see it?'_

Everything about him was _wrong_. From the charming grin to the gawky gait, his essence was twisted. Locking her eyes with his, she batted her lashes and pushing down the queasy feeling his direct focus gave her. "Pleasure's all mine, Argent-san. Where're you from?"

"I hail from the West Blue. Ninjin village on Yasai island. How about you?"

"Born and raised right here in the East Blue. You a pirate?" The group of men she forgot about burst out laughing.

"That's Scarlett-chan for you! Direct as a pistol, this one," Beau-san laughed. She flushed, pouting slightly at the barkeep. The man in front of them was a creep and she could feel the bad intentions just _wafting_ off him. She needed to know if he was going to raze the village with his crew, likely lying in wait. To her annoyance, Argent was laughing as well, though not quite as enthused as the other patrons.

"I'm no pirate. I wasn't very happy in Ninjin so I traveled around looking for a nice island to settle down on. I've heard many good things about Gala and Fuji is the first coastal village I found. I'm a new resident," he explained, rubbing his neck. The ache in her gut only continued to grow as she nodded politely.

Scarlett's world was on the verge of toppling over, entire body rejecting his presence. Argent was a dark brewing storm, a miasma of fog cloaking everything around him, consuming everything around him.

* * *

 **All of this is genuine trash oh god I'm so sorry. Drop a review? They give me life energy :)**


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